B.C. to install 8000 air conditioners in vulnerable areas. Climate activists have different, better options.

In 2021, British Columbia was faced with a vicious heat dome between June and July that totaled up a horrific 619 deaths. Majority of these people didn’t have access to any cooling and many were vulnerable. Since this date, the government of British Columbia has done several efforts to combat the increasing heat due to global warming and prevent an event like this from happening again. Their most recent project is to spend ten million dollars to install 8000 free air conditioners for those who need it most in vulnerable areas. Although this sounds like a great idea, climate activists have a better proposal for these areas.

                Air conditioners are good at doing their job, but they draw in a lot of electricity to just provide cooling. The main issue raised was if a lot of air conditioners are being used in a small area, this could lead to a black out which creates the same scenario as 2021. Ontario based climate consultant Heather McDiarmid recommended they install heat pumps due to their very low energy consumption which would allow for many to run in a small area preventing black outs and provide heating in the winter substantially more efficiently than burning gas.

The demand for heat pumps is skyrocketing year over year with almost three time the people applying for heat pump rebates in 2021 compared to 2020. It is evident that heat pumps are the way of an eco-friendlier future that’s also more efficient. Apartment builders are also considering the advantages of developing future apartments with heat pumps installed as opposed to air conditioners because it would be better than just upgrading to them later. Their positive properties can be summed up by the words of Graham Cubitt, Indwell’s director of projects and development. “they’re saving everything. They’re saving money, they’re saving the planet.”  Heat pumps are one way you can do your part at “saving the planet”, Our Anorra Wind Turbines are another. Adapting clean wind energy is another way to cut down your contribution to climate change by replacing gas furnace with heat pumps for example.